Viddy Well Recommends: The Church
Article by Anthony Cleveland
Written by Dario Argento and directed by Michele Soavi, The Church takes audiences on a supernatural trip into a gothic nightmare that oozes apocalyptic dread.
An old Gothic cathedral, built over a mass grave, develops strange powers which trap a number of people inside with ghosts from a 12th Century massacre seeking to resurrect an ancient demon from the bowels of the Earth.
The Church really fell through the cracks for me. I binged watched a ton of Italian horror back in the day and fatigue started to set in. And, in that fatigue, I had decided that The Church was something I had already seen... I'm glad I gave it a chance and had the opportunity to discover it without any assumptions.
The Church is a sequel to Demons -- more of a spiritual sequel, but a sequel nonetheless. Demons focused on stereotypes of moviegoers, and so it's fitting that the second half of The Church dives into terrorizing different types of churchgoers. Well, the setting is more of a cathedral than a church. And, inside you have tourists, repentants, field trippers, and the elderly that never miss a day in their pew.
The first half is a slow building possession story that feels tired but unravels in a way to keep your attention. The highlights are the special FX that are bizarre, startling, and unquestionably demonic. These I wont spoil, but I will say they repair any damage from the slow narrative.
However, don't go into this expecting Demons. This is a more mature, cerebral version of that film. So, check your memories of samurai sword slinging, motorcycle driving, demon decapitations at the door, and get settled for some images straight from the Paradise Lost illustrations.
Rating: 4 out of 5 Baphomets.
What do you think? Have you seen this one already? If you haven't, is your interest peaked now? We want to know. Share your thoughts and feelings in the comments section below, and, as always, remember to viddy well!